Combined blind and awning.



0. P. KLKSSIG.

COMBINED BLIND AND AWNING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1914. I

Patented D60. 15, 1914.

' 2 BHEETSSHEET 1.

0. P. KLASSIG.

COMBINED BLIND AND AWNING.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11, 1914. v 121 022 Patented Dec. 15, 1914,

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

at art n-"r1 mania QSKAR PAUL KLASSIG, OF NEW YORK, N. '2'.

COMBINED BLIND AND AWNING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3.5, 191d.

Application filed February 11. 1914. Serial No. 817,994.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSKAR PAUL KLblssie, subject of the Emperor ofGermany, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the r city, county,and State of New York, have V invented a new and useful ImprovedCombined Blind and Awning, 021 which the fol- I lowing is aspecification.

This invention relates to Venetian shutters or blinds to be locatedoutside the window and which may also be utilized as an awning, and itis the object of the invention to provide in a combined blind and awningof this character adjustable means to rigidly l ipport the slats oi theblinds either when used as a blind or an awning, to improved means toadjust the slats on said rigid support, and to tilt the slats.

lVith these objects in view the slats are connected by chain-links witha rod or bar in openings in the ends of the slats pivotally connected tothe top of the window frame with the lowermost ends thereof pivotallyconnected to an adjustable support to rigidly maintain the rods in aperpendicular position when the device is used as a. blind or in aposition inclined to the perpendicular when utilized as an awning. Toadjust the slats of the blind on said rods when utilized as a- Venetianshutter, i provide a pair of cables or ropes passing through openings inthe slats, one adjaeach end, with one end of the ropes t "ed to thelowermost slat, the other ends able on a vertical axis and locatedsubially midway of the top member of the .indow frame. Also connected tosaid in is an actuating cable or rope normally and on the drum when theslats are in their lowered position, said rope passing thrcugh anopening in the window frame so that it is inside of the building, and bypulling on said rope the drum 1S rotated and the slat ropes wound on thedrum raising the slats on the supporting rods. A second rope or cableconnected to the uppermost slat also passes through an opening in thevindow frame and by maintaining said rope t the slats oi the shutter aremaintained horiz position, but by releasing rope the torward edge of theupper slat i'lrop down by reasonof the chainlin; connection the forwardends of all of 55 the shutters will drop.

1n the drawings accompanying and formhe ropes being connected to a drum.

ing a part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of'awindow and window frame illustrating an embodiment of my inventionapplied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation takensubstantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrow, showing the invention applied as a Venetian shutter with theslats in horizontal position. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevationshowing the invention applied as an awning. Fig. 4 is a perspective viewof a portion of a shield to extend across the top of the blind toprotect the operating mechanism. Fig. r is a side elevation of a detailshowing means to adjustably secure one end of the slat supporting andguiding rods when used as a Venetian shutteix. Fig. 5 is a frontelevation of the slat operating means. Fig. 6 is a view looking at thebottom of the slat operating means. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of oneend of the blind showing the slats in horizontal position. Fig. 8 is asectional side elevation of the blind showing the slats in horizontalposition. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one form of adjustable supportfor the lower ends of the slat supporting and guide rods. Fig. 10 is aperspective view of another form of support for the lower ends of theslat supporting and guide rods. Figs. 11 and 12 are perspective detailviews illustrating modifications of the means to support the slats. Fig.13 is a perspective view of a portion of a window frame showing amodified form of a bracket for supporting the lower end of the slatsupporting and guide rods and showing the same in position whenutilizing the blind as an awning; and Fig. 1-]: is a sectional sideelevation of a window frame showing the form of bracket illustrated inFig. 13 applied thereto when used as a support for therods when thedevice is utilized as a Venetian blind.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout thedifferent views of the drawings.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings consists of aseries of superposed slats 15 connected at their front and rearlongitudnia-l edges by chain links, as at 16, so that simultaneoustilting movement and to the same extent will be imparted to all of theslats. The slats may be constructed of amy suitable wood or metal andhave openings or recesses 17 opposite ends, and when constructed wood awire binding 18 is passed around the slat to extend from the front to.the rear to prevent liability of splitting of the slat, but when theslat is made of metal this rod is not required.

The slats are supported and guided at opposite ends by a pair of rods19, pivotally connected at their upper ends to thetop of the windowframe, as by eye-bolts20, and their lower ends connected to adjustablebrackets secured to the window frame to rigidly maintain said rodseither-1n a perpendicular position or 1n a position 1nclined to theperpendicular for a purpose to be fully described hereinafter. Theopenings 17 in the slats are of such a size'to permit of the readyadjustment of the slats along the supporting rods and to also permit ofthe tiltmg of the slats.

To adjust the slats along the rods 19, I provide a pair of cables orropes 21, 22, passing through openings 24 ad acent the ends of the slatswith one end connected to' the lowermost slat, or the ends of the ropesmay be knotted with the lowermost slat supported on said knots, as shownat 25 in Figs. 7 and 8. These ropes pass over pulleys 26 carried bybrackets secured to the top member of the window frame and securedto adrum 27 mounted to rotate on a vertical axissubstantially midway of thetop member of the window frame, preferably through the medium of ballbearings. Also connected to said drum is a rope 28 passing through anopening in the window frame to manipulate the shutters from inside ofthe building. The rope 28 when the slats of the blinds are separated andin their lowermost position is wound on the drum 27 .and to adjust theslats upward on the supporting rods 19 the rope 28 is pulled therebyunwinding it from the drum.- and rotating the latter causing the ropes21, 22

to wind on the drum in opposite directions and pulling the slats up onthe rods 19, and

when adjusted to the desired position the rope 28 is secured in asuitable manner, as

by winding on the cleat 29, (Fig. 2). When the rope 28 is released theslats will drop unwinding the slat ropes 21, 22, from the frame and theactuating rope winding onto the drum. This drum is' preferablyconstructed with a series of three annularrecesses so that the windingof the ropes 21, 22 and 28 thereon will not interfere with each other.

The slats of the shutter are maintained in a horizontal position by arope 30 secured at one end to the forward edge of the uppermost slat, asat 31, guided through an eyebolt 32 and passing through an opening inthe window frame into the building and maintained taut by securing to ahook 32 on the window frame. To limit the upward tilting movement of theforward edges of the slats, I provide chains 34 connected at one end tothe window frame and the other ends connected to screw eyes projectingfrom the lateral edge of the upper slats, as clearly shown in Figs. 5,t5 and 8. To tilt the slats it is only necessary to release the rope 30and rock the slats through the medium of the chain-links.

To maintain the supporting and guide rods 13) rigid when the device isto be used as a Venetian shutter only, I secure to the window frame apair of brackets 35, one of which is shown in Fig. 4, and pivotallysupport in said brackets latches 36, one end of which latches are in theform of a hook to engage in eyes formed at the lower ends of the rods19, the other ends of the latches having set screws 37 the free ends ofwhich are adapted to engage with the .brackets, and it will be obviousthat by screwing said srews into the latches the latter will be tiltedand the rods thereby drawn taut.

To adapt the device as a combined Vene' tian blind and awning, I providea bracket consisting of a pair of connected endwise adjustable members38, .38, the free end of each member being bent up at right angles. Bythus constructing this bracket it is adaptable to window frames ofdifferent widths. This bracket is supported to have retative movement incleats 39 fixed .to the window frame. Pii'otally connected to the endsof the angular portions of the bracket members 38 are elbow links 40, towhich are connected the ends of the rods 19, as clearly shown in Figs.1, 2 and 3. In Figs. 1 and 2 this bracket is shown in position to adaptthe device as a Venetian shutter, the angle portion of the bracketmember 38 lying flush i with the window frame and the links 40 beingfolded so that the bent portions lie adj acent to the bottom member ofthe window frame and locked in this position by a latch 41 pivotallycarried by the angle portion of one of the bracket members .38 catchingover a nib 42 projecting laterally from the elbow link 40, (Fig. 2). Toadapt the blind as an awning the latch 41 is released when the linkmembers are unfolded and the bracket members 38 are rotated in theirsupports, the movement of the links 40 being limited by a laterallyprojecting nose 43 engaging with the angle portion of the bracketmembers'38. To facilitate the unfolding of the link members 40 to adaptthe blind as as awning the links 40 are provided with hand grips 44. Toconceal and protect the shutter actuating mechanism, I provide a shieldof sheet metal. 1

of rods adapted to be pivotally connectedto the topof the window frame,one rod ad-.

one end of which arms the ro ds are connected by engaging in either oneof a series of openings 46. The other end of the angle arms are adaptedto be releasably connected to either one of a pair of brackets 47, 48 bymeans of releasable pins passing through openings in said arms. In Fig.13 one of these arms is shown in position to support the rods when thedevice is used as an .awning, and in Fig. 14 when used as a Venetianblind or shutter. These arms may also be provided with hand grips tofacilitate the manipulation of the same.

The chain-links to connect the slats may be directly connected to theedges of the slats. However, when wooden slats are utilized they may beprovided with a brace 48 consisting of a piece of wire bent to em braceboth faces of the slat and provided with eyes at the forward and rearedges of the slats to which the chain-links are connected, as clearlyshown in Fig. 11. When a metal slat is used the slat may be providedwith openings adjacent the front and rear edges in which engage rings 49to which the chain links are connected, as clearly shown in Fig. 12.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. The combination with a window frame, of a series of superposed andconnected slats having openings in each end thereof; a pair jacent eachend of the slats and engaging in the openings therein; and means towhich the lower ends of the rods are connected to to the top of thewindow frame, one rod adbrackets supported by the window frame and towhich the lower ends'of the rods are connected.

3. The combination with. a window frame, of a series of superposed andconnected slats having openings in the ends thereof;-a pair of rodsconnected to the window frame, one at each end of the slats and engagingin the slat openings; a pair of ropes passing through openings in theslats, one rope adjacent each end of the slats with the ends connectedto the lowermost slat; a drum rotatable on a vertical axis to which theother ends of the ropes are connected; and a rope connected to the drumto rotate the same and thereby wind and unwind the slat ropes on thedrum to raise or lower the slats on the supporting rods.

4. The combination with a window frame, of a series of superposed andconnected slats having openings in the ends thereof; a pair of rodsconnected to the window frame, one at each end of the slats and engagingin the slat openings; a pair of ropes passing through openingsin theslats, one rope adjacent each end of the slats with the ends connectedto the lowermost slat, a drum ro tatable on a vertical axis to which theother ends of the ropes are connected; a rope passing through an openingin the window frame connected to the drum to rotate the same and therebywind and unwind the slat ropes on the drum to raise and lower the slatson the supporting rods; and a second rope connected to the uppermostslat passing through an opening in the window frame to tilt the slatsand maintain them in a horizontal position.

OSKAR PAUL KLASSIG.

Witnesses R. W. PI'I'IMAN, JOHN O. Snrnnnr.

